“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies.… The man who never reads lives only one.”
George R. R. Martin
Reading! A habit that some of us have but many of us lack. At an early age, we were forced to read boring textbooks and study them. Even our literature textbooks weren’t amusing; they were rarely renewed, and if updated, no new exciting and fun chapters were added. That is one of the many reasons why we don't like to read books; it just feels like we are going to be bored to death before we finish the book.
Let’s be real, we've all tried it at some point in our lives. We buy our first book and start reading it, but for some reason, it so happens that we can’t find time to read, eventually abandoning the skill. Later, we reassure ourselves by saying, “I’m trying to get back to reading,” and don’t do it.
To be honest, reading is one of the most fun things you can do without even moving a muscle. There is a wide range of books in every genre. You can spend centuries and still not finish reading every book in a single genre. You encounter a wide range of emotions, from extreme happiness to almost heartbreak. Books are not just a source of entertainment; they are also a source of knowledge. To give you an example, books are like a bucket to a well of knowledge, which never dries up.
Reading isn’t just an activity that we do; it is an experience that we live through. Every successful person, whom most of us idolize, is a voracious reader. Reading gives you perception, it gives you patience and teaches you values in life. The thing about books is that the more you read, the more you learn, the more you grow, and eventually you become wise. Reading is like a nucleus to our nuclear curiosity.
Bill Gates was once asked, which Superpower he would like to have, he said, “Being able to read super fast”
Our main issue is that we have a short attention span. We often look to movies, social media, or just browsing the internet to give us instant pleasure. Even though most books require patience and some work to understand, reading requires consistent focus, and most of us can't focus for long periods of time, so we find it boring.
We are a generation that is drawn to things that provide instant gratification. Be it knowledge, wisdom, or understanding, or even on a philosophical and emotional level. The harsh reality is that every skill is developed through hours and hours of doing the same thing over and over.
Reading is enjoyable until you no longer find it entertaining. This explains why, despite the widespread popularity of videos, many excellent written works go unread.
I'm not saying you shouldn't watch videos, but as a generation, we often lack the patience to learn anything worthwhile. We are easily bored and sometimes irritated by doing the same thing. This also applies to the habit of reading. Every successful CEO, every leader, and every person who has achieved fame for their abilities all have one thing in common. They read, persevere, and are inspired.
At this point, I am sounding like a radical idiot who wants everyone to read, but to be honest, that’s how people level up their mental capabilities, and from personal experience, I can say this much: it actually works.
But to be extremely honest, if you held onto reading for a bit, you would understand why so many people are obsessed with reading. Just like J.K. Rowling once said,
“If you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book”
Nice write up👍
👍